The official White House transcript of President Barack Obama's talk Thursday at the Ford plant in Chicago's Hegewisch neighborhood makes him sound like a Ford salesman. I suppose that's what he is, at least in part.

"And Ford has also committed to selling more of the cars you build around the world, including the Explorer that you manufacture right here -- we're going to sell it in up to 90 countries," Obama told the autoworkers at Ford Motor Co.'s Chicago Assembly Plant.

Wait a minute. Is he president of Ford or of the United States?

Actually, Obama's role as president includes helping the nation export American ideas, goods and services.

Obama understands the value of exporting vehicles overseas.

In his State of the Union address, he set a goal of doubling exports over the next five years.

"We're tired of just buying from everybody else -- we want to start selling to other people because we know we can compete," Obama said Thursday.

"That's how we're going to grow our economy," he said. "That's how we're going to support millions of good jobs for American workers to do what they've always done: build great products and sell them around the world. Our workers can compete with anybody -- and America is going to compete aggressively for every job out there and every industry out there and every market out there."

It should help that six Northwest Indiana counties -- Lake, Porter, LaPorte, Jasper, Newton and Starke -- are now included in the Port of Indiana's Foreign Trade Zone. Businesses in those counties can gain approval for joining a foreign trade zone in as little as 30 days. Foreign trade zones allow warehouse operators and manufacturers, in particular, to get a cost savings on import and export duties.

Companies surrounding the Gary/Chicago International Airport, for example, could more easily get a break on duties, improving the airport's ability to grow its freight business.

That would be a big help. Indiana is already a major exporter, thanks to its manufacturing and agriculture industries, but the state has a lot of room for growth.

An Indiana Business Research Center report for the Indiana Economic Development Corp. last year said Indiana exported $26.5 billion in goods in 2008. That 2.1 percent growth over 2007 pales in comparison to the U.S. growth rate of 11.8 percent.

Obama's boost to Ford included a $250 million Export-Import Bank loan guarantee. But that's because he understands the value of exports not just to Ford and its employees, but far beyond.

Adding a second shift of 1,200 workers at the Chicago Assembly Plant, nearly doubling the work force, "that's good for the stamping plant in Chicago Heights; it's good for the suppliers, who are investing in new facilities and adding shifts and hiring more than 600 workers in Illinois and Indiana and Michigan; it's good for the entire community; it's good for the city; it's good for the state," Obama said.

Manufacturers, if you need help, such as joining a foreign trade zone, speak up.

Shape up, America, and ship those goods out.

Editorial Page Editor Doug Ross can be reached at (219) 548-4360 or (219) 933-3357 or Doug.Ross@nwi.com. The opinion expressed in this column is the writer's and not necessarily that of The Times.